Karma-Yoga : Ch-6. Part-14.

CHAPTER VI

NON-ATTACHMENT IS COMPLETE SELF-ABNEGATION

Part-14.


There is to be found a very expressive sentence in our scriptures embodying this idea :

"Even if he kill the whole universe (or be himself killed), he is neither the killer nor the killed, when he knows that he is not acting for himself at all."

Therefore Karma-Yoga teaches, "Do not give up the world; live in the world, imbibe its influences as much as you can; but if it be for your own enjoyment's sake, work not at all."

Enjoyment should not be the goal.

First kill your self and then take the whole world as yourself; as the old Christians used to say, "The old man must die."

This old man is the selfish idea that the whole world is made for our enjoyment.

Foolish parents teach their children to pray, "O Lord, Thou hast created this sun for me and this moon for me," as if the Lord has had nothing else to do than to create everything for these babies.

Do not teach your children such nonsense.

Then again, there are people who are foolish in another way : they teach us that all these animals were created for us to kill and eat, and that this universe is for the enjoyment of men.

That is all foolishness.

A tiger may say, "Man was created for me" and pray, "O Lord, how wicked are these men who do not come and place themselves before me to be eaten; they are breaking Your law."

If the world is created for us, we are also created for the world.

That this world is created for our enjoyment is the most wicked idea that holds us down.

This world is not for our sake.

Millions pass out of it every year; the world does not feel it; millions of others are supplied in their place.

Just as much as the world is for us, so we also are for the world.

Swami Vivekananda

To be continued  ...